Parasail becomes detached and flies away over hotel

[shorehambeach 9]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=079_1372742738

Someone didn't do their pre-flight checks properly.


A frightening accident Monday afternoon in Panama City Beach. Witnesses tell News 13 two teenage girls were rushed to the hospital after their parasail detached from the boat pulling it. They landed in a near-by condominium parking lot.



More at

http://www.wmbb.com/story/22736189/two-injured-in-parasail-accident-on-panama-city-beach

[Zep 0]

Someone didn't do their pre-flight checks properly.


Not a lot of canopy control going on either.

Gone fishing

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Zep

Someone didn't do their pre-flight checks properly.


Not a lot of canopy control going on either.

Are the riders in control of the parasail? You see those things a lot down there. I don't know how much ground schooling they get before going up.

Sounds like a storm blew in. I've heard a few accident reports about those boat-towed parasails over the years, and it's usually because a storm blew in. You can see the weather for miles over the ocean, so there's really no excuse for letting that happen. The students don't know any better, but the operators should. Even if the students are in control of the canopy, if they're getting a 30 mile an hour headwind from the ocean, they probably can't steer so well anyway.

I would be surprised if the parasail rig didn't have a breakaway cable on it. My hang gliding instructor had a set-up like that for his tow operation. Makes it less likely you'll go nose first into the ground if something goes wrong. So I'm guessing what happened is the operator started a tow operation in questionable weather, the storm blew in faster than they expected it to, and a gust of wind caught the sail and caused the breakaway system to break away, leaving the students trying to land in winds well past their limits.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[shorehambeach 9]

No they are merely passengers ! In for the ride.... controlled by the boat....

Til the cable become detached !

Its the equivalent of a tandem passenger suddenly finding themselves unhooked and with a canopy over their head.....

[rnicks 0]

Quote

Not a lot of canopy control going on either.

I hope you are not implying those girls should have controlled the canopy. That's ridiculous. Maybe I am misunderstanding you....

[shorehambeach 9]

rnicks

Quote

Not a lot of canopy control going on either.

I hope you are not implying those girls should have controlled the canopy. That's ridiculous. Maybe I am misunderstanding you....

Rnicks - he's being ironic. Its a European thing.

[rnicks 0]

shorehambeach

***

Quote

Not a lot of canopy control going on either.

I hope you are not implying those girls should have controlled the canopy. That's ridiculous. Maybe I am misunderstanding you....

Rnicks - he's being ironic. Its a European thing.

Oh, well in that case, I retract my initial reaction. It's so hard to convey tone online.

[oldwomanc6 38]

shorehambeach

***

Quote

Not a lot of canopy control going on either.

I hope you are not implying those girls should have controlled the canopy. That's ridiculous. Maybe I am misunderstanding you....

Rnicks - he's being ironic. Its a European thing.


If this is what the set up was like, there was no way that even an experienced jumper could have had any way to control it.

All the pictures of multiple people had this same bar and hanging harness set-up.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[BigMikeH77 0]

I bet those girls were terrified. Landing in a parking lot couldnt have felt pleasant. At 13 one can't expect them to be able to control a canopy at all let alone PLF onto asphalt.

But it could have ended much worse.

[billvon 2,384]

> At 13 one can't expect them to be able to control a canopy at all let alone PLF onto asphalt.

At no age can one expect them to control that canopy. It's not controllable.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Wow, powerlines, buildings and parked cars, a trifecta of obstacles.

Those poor girls. I seriously hope the SUV cushioned their impact enough to markedly lessen their injuries and that they heal quickly. What a terrifying experience for them.

May we all take a moment to remind ourselves to sit out sketchy weather.

[lawrocket 3]

[Reply]I seriously hope the SUV cushioned their impact enough to markedly lessen their injuries and that they heal quickly.

[oldwomanc6 38]

These girls are fortunate to be alive.

I hope they stay that way and heal quickly!

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[profallrate 0]

Wow, that was painful to watch. Hope the girls will be OK. I actually know someone that had that happen to them. A father and Daughter, but They landed un harmed in the water.
I can see the operator trying to get "that one last load" in. Sure it is Florida, the weather can change quickly, but no excuse for this.
As for the handrail on the balcony, it is aluminum, not iron. It gave more than iron would have, but painful none the less. Those rails are only meant to withstand 200 lbs of force at the top rail. Not much. Remember that the next time 4 or 5 or 10 of you are hanging off a balcony on a condo on the beach. I have repaired countless substandard or damaged rails.

-------------------------------------------------
Lord please help me to be the person that my dog thinks I am.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

oldwomanc6

If this is what the set up was like, there was no way that even an experienced jumper could have had any way to control it.

All the pictures of multiple people had this same bar and hanging harness set-up.

Yugh! I'd be hard pressed to think up a definition of "safe" under which I'd consider that to be "safe". It may only be a fraction of the price for a ride, but the idea of getting into that thing is way more scary than AFF ground school

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[Andy9o8 0]

Is it too soon for tasteless jokes yet?
No? Cool.

======================

They made their first ground-launch, first skydive and first BASE jump all in one jump. Props to them.